Replenishing mechanism for looms



Nov. 28, 1961 w. H. BANKS REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed March 24, 1959 INVEN TOR. WALDO H. BAN/(6'.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3 010,488 REPLENl'Sl-IING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Waldo H. Banks, Hopedale, Mass, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Mar. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 801,617 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-257) This invention relates to the replenishing mechanism of automatic looms and, in particular, to an extractor mechanism for removing and retaining a portion of the filling thread on a loaded bobbin at the time of its transfer into a shuttle to replace an exhausted bobbin.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an extractor mechanism for automatically removing the tip or filling bunch from a bobbin just prior to transfer of said bobbin to a shuttle, holding said bunch for a period of time, removing and depositing it in a waste receptacle and returning the extractor mechanism into position over the end of the next bobbin to be transferred without moving the position of the filling bunch or damaging the filling thread of the latter bob-bin during the return motion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an extractor which is operated by air under pressure and which will accomplish this removal of the filling bunch very rapidly in timed sequence with other parts of the loom.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an extractor which includes a pair of cooperating jaws engageable with said bunch and movable axially along a bobbin end, said jaws being adapted to make firm sliding contact with the bobbin end during removal of the filling bunch and at least one of said jaws being cam actuated to vary the size of the opening defined by the jaws when they are returned into position over the end of the next bobbin to be transferred.

An improved manner for the removal of the tip bunch from bobbins during transfer thereof into a shuttle has recently been disclosed wherein a suction tread disposal means is utilized which is concentrically contained within a part of a tip bunch remover and connected to an air system at the loom and controlled by an air operated timer means acting to valve air to the system upon the initial movement of the members of the bobbin transfer system. Such a device is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,845,957. The timer disclosed therein operates to actuate an air controlled extractor head which removes the tip bunch from its bobbin and simultaneously provides suction means for removal of this bunch as well as the filling end of the exhausted, outgoing supply at the proper time. A modification of the extractor of that patent is disclosed in United States patent application Serial No. 756,166, now Patent No. 2,954,058; wherein the extractor comprises a cylinder and piston, gripping means operatively connected to the piston and movable therewith to a position to engage the tip bunch and remove it from its bobbin, means to admit air under pressure to force the piston in one direction and resilient means to move the piston in the opposite direction. The gripping means of that application comprises a pair of jaws one of which is pivotable with respect to the second which is fixed. The jaws are spring biased toward each other in order to maintain a firm sliding contact with a bobbin end to assure removal of the tip bunch.

According to the invention a further modification of the extractor of the above-cited patent has been devised which includes many of the features of that disclosed in application Serial No. 756,166 and further includes cam actuated means for positively efiecting opening of the jaws as they are returned into position over the end of the next bobbin to be transferred, the jaws being caused to close firmly over the bobbin end when they have reached a position between the tip bunch and the main body of filling on that bobbin. This positive opening of the jaws from a fully extracted position to a return over the nextbobbin end assures against displacement of the tip bunch or damage to the filling thread which extends between the tip bunch and the main body of filling for one or two turns which could result where the jaws were not positively opened by some means other than by pressure exerted by the bobbin end itself.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following more detailed description of the invention and drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the extractor assembly with the extractor head in fully expanded position over the end of the next bobbin to be transferred;

=-FIG. 2 is an end view as seen from the left side of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of FIG. 2 with some of the parts removed therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the cam used for efiectin-g opening of one of the jaws;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cam shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the same cam; and

FIG. 8 .is a plan view, partly in section, of the bracket for supporting the cam and showing the cam in its two extreme positions of movement and taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 3. I I

In FIGS. 1 to 3 one end 10 of a conventional bobbin is shown having a main body of filling 11 and a tip bunch 12 formed at its end. The bobbin is usually tapered so that its diameter is slightly less at the end shown than at its opposite end for reasons to be explained. A first extractor head or jaw 13 is fixedly mounted to one end of a piston rod 14 and includes a guide portion 15 efiective to prevent rotation of the piston rod and fixed jaw with respect to the supporting structure 16 for the extractor. A second jaw 17 is pivotally mounted to the first jaw at 18 and is biased toward that jaw by means of a torsion spring 19 which is held in place by a retaining ring 20. The movable jaw -17 has a tapered pin 21 fixed in one end, which pin acts as a cam follower element. The two jaws form an opening 22 which may vary in size depending upon the location of the pin 21 with respect to a cam element 23 to be described. The jaws are preferably tapered as shown in FIG. 4 so that the smaller opening therebetween is at that side of the jaws which is first to contact a tip bunch during removal thereof from a bobbin.

The piston rod 14 extends into a cylinder 24 and is slidable therein so as to cause the jaws to be movable from the full to the dotted line positions as shown in FIG. 1 and back again. The construction and operation of the cylinder and control of the rod 14 may be exactly as disclosed in application Serial No. 756,166. A bracket 25, attached to a stationary part of the loom, supports the cylinder and its associated mechanism. A second L-shaped bracket 26 includes a top portion having a slot 27 by means of which the two. brackets are attached to each other by retaining means 28, and a side portion having a bearing surface 29 along which the pin 21 is movable during extraction of a tip bunch by the jaws 13 and 17. The slot 27 is preferably made slightly oversize in width and length so as to permit adjustment in the size of the opening of the jaws by varying the position of the surface 29 as well as to permit variation in the position at which the jaws close over the end of the tip bunch.

The cam element 23 includes a cylindrical portion 30 tinsel-table in an opening in the top surface of bracket 26 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The cam itself comprises 7 an elongated tapered portion which is pivotable about the cylindrical portion so that the narrow end 31 of the cam may bemoved in and out of contact with the surface 29 by means of pressure exerted against the cam by the pin 21 in-a direction away from that surface and by means of a torsion spring 32 in a direction toward that surface. A slot 33 in the bracket 25 acts as a guideway for the guide portion 15 of the fixed jaw andja hole 34 communicates therewith to permit oiling of the guideway.

The operation of the extractor assembly is as follows: Before a call for transfer is made by the usual feeler mechanism of the loom, the jaws of the extractor will be in the solidline position shown in FIG. 1 over the end of a bobbin with the tip bunch still in place. As the call for transfer is made, the timer means (not shown) permits entry of air to the cylinder head as well as to a suction device (not shown) thereby causing the jaws to move to the dotted line position of FIG. 1 to remove the tip bunch .and to bring it adjacent a conduit leading from the'suction device to be held therein. During movementof the jaws in this direction, the pin 21 ridesalong the surface 29 to force the spring biased camelement to the dotted line posit-ion of FIG. 8. The jaws maintain a swmgtng motion to open and dlose the jaw members,

. opening to, assure removal of the tip bunch.

drawn, ,a spring within the cylinder forces the ex-tractor jaws over the end of the next bobbin to be transferred; As this happens, since the pin 21 has reached a-point beyond the end 31 of the cam element, the latter, being springbiased, is swung back toward surface 29 and the selvage cutter to cut the end of the thread of the bobbin which has just been transferred into the shuttle as well as the outgoing thread from the exhausted bobbin. As the threads are cut, the suction device causes them to be withdrawn through a tube into a waste receptacle.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept maybe carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but .is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

1 claim:

1. For a loom for weaving wherein bobbins are employed having filling wound thereon an end of which is wound in the form of a tip bunch adjacent the bobbin end, a combined means for removing the bunch from each bobbin end and for disposing of it and retaining the filling end while the shuttle is picked which comprises a stripping means engageable entirely behind said bunch which comprisesjaw members a first one of which is guided for axial movement only and the other of which is mounted for axial movement with it and pivoted for means for moving said gripping means axially over the end of each of said bobbins successively and means for opening said gripping means prior to passage thereof over the end of a bobbin to be transferred which comprises a cam follower member and a cam member immediately it does so, the movable jaw-17 is pivoted to enlarge the opening 22 to permit free passage of the jaws, over the tipbunchof the next bobbin. When the jawshavejeturned to their fully expanded positiomthe pin 21 passes over the end of the cam and then is returned to contact the surface 29 by means of the torsion spring 19. A slight tapering of the bobbin in the samedirection as the jaw taper permits the fixed jaw to passtover the tip bunch without displacing it, although the taper is not necessary since that .end of the bobbin is free to'be moved toone side by thefixed jawshould there be contact betweenthetwo,

' The timer permits air to be applied to the suction device for a period of time suflicient to permit the usual References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'l,039,547 Koechlin Sept. 24, 1912 1,060,831 Elmendorf etal. May 6, 1913 2,566,880 Fiset et a1 Sept. 4, 1951 2,845,957 Banks et al. Aug. 5, 1958 2,892,470 Corneliusson et' a1. June 30, -9

' FOREIGN PATENTS,

7,424 Great Britain of 1910 

